One of my crit partners is really good at writing queries (thank goodness!) and another one always notices when my novel world is inconsistent (yay!). But I'm not sure I know what my strengths are in the critiques I write. Here are a couple of things I think I'm good at noticing:
Age-related inconsistencies. I can often point out when the writing for the viewpoint character seems inconsistent with their age, e.g., using expressions or slang that seems too old for them, dialogue that doesn't seem like what a kid would say.
Making space for the reader. I also notice when the writing seems to spell things out too much, and doesn't leave enough space for the reader to think and figure out things for themselves.
I wonder if the qualities you bring to your critiques reflect strengths in your own work. What do you think? What are you good at noticing when you give critiques?
Friday, March 4, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
I is for Ideas
Ideas come from everywhere – a snippet of a news article, dream, a bit of overheard conversation, your own brain making a connection between something you’ve read and something else that happens…The list goes on and on. If you’re actively engaged in writing, you probably have a system for collecting ideas. Maybe index cards or a writing notebook. But once you have your ideas, what do you do with them?
As you begin to develop your idea into a story, think about the type of story problem it creates. It’s a good bet that if there’s romance or a lot of violence related to your story idea, it’s more suitable for a YA story. If it’s too “cute”, with really one only problem, it’s likely more suitable for a picture book or an easy reader.
You can also think about the developmental issues middle grade readers are facing as a guideline for whether your idea is suited to middle grade readers.
Of course, an idea is only a starting point. How do you know if your idea is worth developing into a story?
Questions. A good idea should generate lots of questions in your mind. What characters to do you need to create conflict related to your idea? What place could the story take place to make this idea more interesting? What would happen if…?
Enthusiasm. You need to feel excited about your idea and the way it can develop into a story. If you’re writing a novel, you’ll likely have to live with the idea for months, maybe even years, if you count revisions. It should be something that you’re passionate about, so you can bring that passion to your readers.
Research. Even though your enthusiasm for the idea is always critical, it’s often a good idea to do a little research and see what other books have been published on that topic. It can help you see what your idea needs to make it suitable for the middle grade market. And it gives you an idea of what’s already been done.
Uniqueness. As you develop your idea into a story, it really helps to have something that makes it unique – an unusual twist, an exotic setting, something that will surprise the reader. You might have to spend some time, generating “what ifs” related to your idea to develop it into something interesting.
How do you know when you want to turn your great idea into a story?
Links:
A great list of some considerations when trying to develop an idea that stands out.
Jami Gold asks some good questions to help with idea development.
Over at the Nouveau Writer blog, there are some strategies for stretching ideas by looking beyond the obvious.
Brian Yansky writes about the importance of waiting for several ideas to connect when trying to shape them into a story.
David A. Kennedy suggests some strategies for generating new ideas.
When you’re stumped, Rick Walton’s Rock Canyon University Free School of Writing For Children has these awesome lists of activities and places to help get your brain in gear.
Nathan Bransford blogs about the drawbacks of settling for your first idea.
Mary Kole clarifies the difference between a situation and a plot.
My crit buddy Christina Farley has an interesting post about finding the right idea.
Kristen Lamb has a great post on testing out your story ideas before you start writing.
Another interesting link:
Although not really on the subject of ideas, this blog post about the difference between the book category Middle Grade and the age of kids in middle school is interesting.
As you begin to develop your idea into a story, think about the type of story problem it creates. It’s a good bet that if there’s romance or a lot of violence related to your story idea, it’s more suitable for a YA story. If it’s too “cute”, with really one only problem, it’s likely more suitable for a picture book or an easy reader.
You can also think about the developmental issues middle grade readers are facing as a guideline for whether your idea is suited to middle grade readers.
Of course, an idea is only a starting point. How do you know if your idea is worth developing into a story?
Questions. A good idea should generate lots of questions in your mind. What characters to do you need to create conflict related to your idea? What place could the story take place to make this idea more interesting? What would happen if…?
Enthusiasm. You need to feel excited about your idea and the way it can develop into a story. If you’re writing a novel, you’ll likely have to live with the idea for months, maybe even years, if you count revisions. It should be something that you’re passionate about, so you can bring that passion to your readers.
Research. Even though your enthusiasm for the idea is always critical, it’s often a good idea to do a little research and see what other books have been published on that topic. It can help you see what your idea needs to make it suitable for the middle grade market. And it gives you an idea of what’s already been done.
Uniqueness. As you develop your idea into a story, it really helps to have something that makes it unique – an unusual twist, an exotic setting, something that will surprise the reader. You might have to spend some time, generating “what ifs” related to your idea to develop it into something interesting.
How do you know when you want to turn your great idea into a story?
Links:
A great list of some considerations when trying to develop an idea that stands out.
Jami Gold asks some good questions to help with idea development.
Over at the Nouveau Writer blog, there are some strategies for stretching ideas by looking beyond the obvious.
Brian Yansky writes about the importance of waiting for several ideas to connect when trying to shape them into a story.
David A. Kennedy suggests some strategies for generating new ideas.
When you’re stumped, Rick Walton’s Rock Canyon University Free School of Writing For Children has these awesome lists of activities and places to help get your brain in gear.
Nathan Bransford blogs about the drawbacks of settling for your first idea.
Mary Kole clarifies the difference between a situation and a plot.
My crit buddy Christina Farley has an interesting post about finding the right idea.
Kristen Lamb has a great post on testing out your story ideas before you start writing.
Another interesting link:
Although not really on the subject of ideas, this blog post about the difference between the book category Middle Grade and the age of kids in middle school is interesting.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Reading Middle Grade: Two Great Examples
Last year, I noticed that my 100 book challenge was weighted more towards YA than MG, even though I write MG. So this year, I'm making more of an effort to read middle grade books. And I love it. (I also think it's helping me strengthen my writing, but that's a topic for another post). I recently read two books that strike me as really great examples of MG.
Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve delighted me from the beginning. What kid wouldn't love to live on a farm with jewels in the garden, talking bugs and a treehouse-like room? Eleven-year-old Polly is friends with a plant and has a mystery to solve about her family farm. This is truly a story for children, not a teenaged story masquerading as one for kids. I'd describe it as magical (and not just because there is magic in the story).
Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs hooked me and I just had to keep reading. Again, it seemed like a kid's dream come true. Who wouldn't want to live at a zoo adventure park? Having a hippo at the centre of a mystery was unique. I also loved the fact that the main character's parents were in the story and actually part of solving the mystery at times, instead of too busy to notice what their son was up to (or dead).
Reading these books made me think about:
1) how the setting can really become part of the story and help to bring it alive
2) the importance of having a really good story
Of course, good writing is important, but it was really the story that first captured my attention for both of these books. The authors made me curious about what would happen in the story, and what life was like for characters living in these settings.
Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve delighted me from the beginning. What kid wouldn't love to live on a farm with jewels in the garden, talking bugs and a treehouse-like room? Eleven-year-old Polly is friends with a plant and has a mystery to solve about her family farm. This is truly a story for children, not a teenaged story masquerading as one for kids. I'd describe it as magical (and not just because there is magic in the story).
Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs hooked me and I just had to keep reading. Again, it seemed like a kid's dream come true. Who wouldn't want to live at a zoo adventure park? Having a hippo at the centre of a mystery was unique. I also loved the fact that the main character's parents were in the story and actually part of solving the mystery at times, instead of too busy to notice what their son was up to (or dead).
Reading these books made me think about:
1) how the setting can really become part of the story and help to bring it alive
2) the importance of having a really good story
Of course, good writing is important, but it was really the story that first captured my attention for both of these books. The authors made me curious about what would happen in the story, and what life was like for characters living in these settings.
Friday, February 25, 2011
How to Improve Your Writing
I'm always thinking about ways to improve my writing process. I want to write better stories faster. The whole process is so slow, and I keep thinking I can do something to speed it up (probably not possible, but I try).
The more I think about it though, the more it comes down to one thing. How much time do I spend writing or even thinking about my project? Not very much, lately. Improving my writing process and skills really mean nothing if I'm not spending time writing. (And that does not include blog posts.)
So, today, I encourage you to sit down in front of your computer and just start writing. It might turn out to be garbage, but at least you're writing something. It's weird to have to spell out something that's obvious, but I seem to need the reminder: writers write.
The more I think about it though, the more it comes down to one thing. How much time do I spend writing or even thinking about my project? Not very much, lately. Improving my writing process and skills really mean nothing if I'm not spending time writing. (And that does not include blog posts.)
So, today, I encourage you to sit down in front of your computer and just start writing. It might turn out to be garbage, but at least you're writing something. It's weird to have to spell out something that's obvious, but I seem to need the reminder: writers write.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
H is for Hook
The opening of a story needs to draw the reader in to the world of your story. A common way to do that is to drop the reader into the middle of some action. But there are other ways too. What interests you when you first pick up a book? It might be the character or the situation. A strong voice. Any of these could hook your middle grade reader at the beginning of the story. What you really need to do is to make your readers curious enough about your story to keep reading.
Some ideas for making your reader curious:
Give your character a strong voice. A character with a distinctive personality will help your reader connect with the story. Intriguing characters share opinions and feelings with readers right from the beginning, through the way they speak or the way the story is told. The reader gets a sense of who the main character is before the story really starts.
Create an unanswered question. If you can create a question in the reader's mind, they'll keep reading to get the answer. A good question comes from a problem or situation that motivates your character to do something. Even a small problem or conflict at the beginning can help hook your reader as they wait to see how it's resolved. The question can be posed right in the dialogue (as in the familiar opening of Charlotte’s Web) or implied by story events.
A key thing to remember when writing for middle graders is that your story needs to activate that sense of curiousity in your reader all through the story. Adults are more willing to wait and see what will happen with a story that has started to lag, because they have faith it will pick up again. Not so for kids. If a book gets boring, they’d drop it and go and do something else.
How do you create a good hook when you're writing? Do you always drop the reader into the action?
Links:
Patricia C. Wrede discusses the importance of creating an opening that fits your story.
Ellen Jackson outlines some key elements for hooking your reader.
Margaret Nevinski talks about the hook pulling the reader through the story instead of into it.
Sue Walker writes about making your readers wonder with your novel opening.
Some thoughts on the impact of your first sentence at From the Mixed Up Files of Middle Grade Authors.
And some examples of great first paragraphs from Adventures in Children’s Publishing.
Alison Stevens tells us about some elements of a good hook.
Some ideas for making your reader curious:
Give your character a strong voice. A character with a distinctive personality will help your reader connect with the story. Intriguing characters share opinions and feelings with readers right from the beginning, through the way they speak or the way the story is told. The reader gets a sense of who the main character is before the story really starts.
Create an unanswered question. If you can create a question in the reader's mind, they'll keep reading to get the answer. A good question comes from a problem or situation that motivates your character to do something. Even a small problem or conflict at the beginning can help hook your reader as they wait to see how it's resolved. The question can be posed right in the dialogue (as in the familiar opening of Charlotte’s Web) or implied by story events.
A key thing to remember when writing for middle graders is that your story needs to activate that sense of curiousity in your reader all through the story. Adults are more willing to wait and see what will happen with a story that has started to lag, because they have faith it will pick up again. Not so for kids. If a book gets boring, they’d drop it and go and do something else.
How do you create a good hook when you're writing? Do you always drop the reader into the action?
Links:
Patricia C. Wrede discusses the importance of creating an opening that fits your story.
Ellen Jackson outlines some key elements for hooking your reader.
Margaret Nevinski talks about the hook pulling the reader through the story instead of into it.
Sue Walker writes about making your readers wonder with your novel opening.
Some thoughts on the impact of your first sentence at From the Mixed Up Files of Middle Grade Authors.
And some examples of great first paragraphs from Adventures in Children’s Publishing.
Alison Stevens tells us about some elements of a good hook.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Can Five Minutes a Day Lead to a Better Novel?
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to tone up my writing muscles by trying out some writing exercises. I'm sticking to my goal of making time for 5 or 10 minutes of free writing every morning.
I also decided to stop listening to the inane babble of morning radio announcers on the drive home from taking the kids to school, which I do right before my writing time begins. I wanted to let my own thoughts fill up my mind instead. Sometimes, I even stop outside and just breathe in the fresh air, listening to the sounds around me.
I feel like these simple strategies have really helped to boost my creativity. Now when I'm free writing, I don't want to stop with the timer's bell. Even though what I've written has little to do with my current project, it seems to have helped me generate ideas. I've already come up with a couple of new scenes to stick on my storyboard.
Another exercise I'm trying is to pretend I'm one of my story characters and then just write their thoughts. I've never done this before (except in the context of writing the novel). But just playing around has already helped me to strengthen my character motivations.
If nothing else, these few minutes of thinking each day are building up my enthusiasm for writing/rewriting my story. Now, if only I could make some time and mental space to get started!
I also decided to stop listening to the inane babble of morning radio announcers on the drive home from taking the kids to school, which I do right before my writing time begins. I wanted to let my own thoughts fill up my mind instead. Sometimes, I even stop outside and just breathe in the fresh air, listening to the sounds around me.
I feel like these simple strategies have really helped to boost my creativity. Now when I'm free writing, I don't want to stop with the timer's bell. Even though what I've written has little to do with my current project, it seems to have helped me generate ideas. I've already come up with a couple of new scenes to stick on my storyboard.
Another exercise I'm trying is to pretend I'm one of my story characters and then just write their thoughts. I've never done this before (except in the context of writing the novel). But just playing around has already helped me to strengthen my character motivations.
If nothing else, these few minutes of thinking each day are building up my enthusiasm for writing/rewriting my story. Now, if only I could make some time and mental space to get started!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Unexpected Writing Tools
After I heard about the cool site WriteWords (thanks to follower Susan Kaye Quinn), where you can paste in blocks of text to check for repeated phrases, it got me thinking about what tools I use when I'm writing. I've already told you about my indispensible notebook, but here are a few more:
1. Sticky notes. I like them small and colourful (thank you dollar store), for writing plot points and sticking them onto my plot charts. They're also helpful for jotting ideas and sticking into my notebook. I used to put sticky notes around the edges of my computer monitor (and not just to annoy my husband). But my new computer has sticky notes for my desktop that appear everytime I turn it on. Of course, they don't eliminate the ones on my desk, but at least I can find some of my notes!
2. Baby name book. I still have this book from 15 years ago when I was picking out names for my first daughter. It's a little out of date (but I can always check popular name lists on line). It gives suggestions for certain types of names, names that are good alternatives for a popular name I don't want to use, etc.
3. Online alarm clock. This is a great tool for when I'm doing those writing exercises I was talking about last week. Even though I write longhand in my notebook, I'm at my desk where my computer is, so I use this handy alarm clock.
Do you have any interesting writing tools?
1. Sticky notes. I like them small and colourful (thank you dollar store), for writing plot points and sticking them onto my plot charts. They're also helpful for jotting ideas and sticking into my notebook. I used to put sticky notes around the edges of my computer monitor (and not just to annoy my husband). But my new computer has sticky notes for my desktop that appear everytime I turn it on. Of course, they don't eliminate the ones on my desk, but at least I can find some of my notes!
2. Baby name book. I still have this book from 15 years ago when I was picking out names for my first daughter. It's a little out of date (but I can always check popular name lists on line). It gives suggestions for certain types of names, names that are good alternatives for a popular name I don't want to use, etc.
3. Online alarm clock. This is a great tool for when I'm doing those writing exercises I was talking about last week. Even though I write longhand in my notebook, I'm at my desk where my computer is, so I use this handy alarm clock.
Do you have any interesting writing tools?
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